Blog

Amsterdam’s Best in 1 Day by Our Team

Every day we keep recommending you the best places in Amsterdam for having a coffee or drink, lunch or dinner, Dutch cheese or chocolates, good time and fun. We carefully select our favorite spots before sharing them with you. This time we went even further and explored Amsterdam and its finest with the whole team of Amsterdam Teleport Hotel. We hopped on the bikes and discovered the numerous food and beverage opportunities this marvelous city has to offer. Now we’re proud to share our impressions of the best day out in Amsterdam!

Westerpark and its heap of hip spots

It’s not a secret that the easiest way to get around the city is by bike, so don’t hesitate to rent one from us and follow our exciting bike route. We started with cycling through peaceful Westerpark with its more creative places like the Westergasfabriek with a great terrace and the Espressofabriek with freshly brewed coffee. In addition to drinks and snacks, there are lots of special events at the Westergasfabriek, like music and food festivals, local produce and flea markets, concerts, DJs and more.

One-Day-by-Our-Team2

Haarlemmerstraat and its choices

We couldn’t visit all the places that were worth it due to the time limit, but we will still mention them as they are deserve a special recommendation. In general, Haarlemmerstraat is full of cozy vibe coffee places, bars, coffeeshops and nice stores. Make sure to check out Two for Joy and Screaming Beans for a cup of good sustainable coffee, where baristas will tell you all about where their beans come from. Both of these places roast the beans themselves, which allows for extraordinary freshness of each cup you drink.

One-Day-by-Our-Team3

Stout!

Instead of stopping by for coffee, our team grabbed a drink at Stout! That’s a great café restaurant that serves delicious lunches and dinners with a beautiful food presentation. They also offer amazing plateaus with 10 different small dishes, ideal for trying by a larger group. Stout’s nice terrace is the best spot to hang out on a sunny day.

One-Day-by-Our-Team4

Cheese tasting

After the drinks Teleporters felt like having a bite, and what can be a better idea than having some cheese in such a case? Due to the central location of most of the places we recommend, it’s easier to visit them all in one day by bike or on foot. As we were cycling, we ran into our super talented artist Frankie, who created the hotel’s joyful chalkboard with all the must-dos! And when we finally reached one of the best cheese stores in town Reypenaer, the cheese food feast began. It’s not one of those typical touristy Dutch cheese stores, but it’s one and only that sells the finest cheeses with a long history of 110 years. They have mastered the craftsmanship here for you to be able to taste old traditional cheese like no others. Needless to say that it’s a heaven for your taste buds, and we enjoyed the variety and high quality of cheese there.

One-Day-by-Our-Team5

Sweet tooth’s paradise

After all the savory flavors it was time for something sweet, and we continued to our favorite chocolaterie and patisserie tearoom Pompadour. Each chocolate that you choose has an unforgettable deliciousness and mouth melting charm at this magical place. So we got a perfect selection of hand-made chocolates and were delighted with unique flavors.

One-Day-by-Our-Team6

The last good drink

Even though it was the best day out for our team, it had to finish at some point. So we celebrated this mini trip around Amsterdam with cheerful drinks at ‘t Loosje. It is a wonderful local bar that’s perfect for a beer with some international snacks, lunch or coffee on the terrace. A great place to mingle with true local Amsterdam people too.

If you wish to learn more about the finest places in town or follow our experience and visit them all in one day, don’t hesitate to ask any of our Teleport team members. We will be happy to help and make sure that you have the best time in Amsterdam!

One-Day-by-Our-Team7[:]

Say Cheese in Amsterdam

Say Cheese in Holland

When asked about the first thought hearing “Holland,” many people would say “cheese” without a doubt.  The Dutch are known for making cheese since prehistorical times (way before they started to grow and trade their tulips) and they’ve made their product world known. Nowadays the Netherlands is one of the largest cheese producers in the world, exporting their Gouda to 130 countries. So if you happen to be in Amsterdam, you shouldn’t leave without discovering the world of Dutch cheese and its palette of flavors.

Way more than Gouda

Although Gouda is the best-known cheese in the Netherlands (and usually is the first choice of locals when they’re making their super delicious sandwiches), it is not the only cheese type in Holland worth trying. Maasdammer will surprise lovers of typical Swiss cheese by its sweet taste with a nutty note, while Geitenkaas will melt in anybody’s mouth with a bit of fresh honey. Boerenkaas bought from a local farmer will disclose its unique creamy taste due to fresh unpasteurized milk with a glass of fresh unpasteurized beer. Delft’s Blauw will change your perception of blue cheese forever, while Old Amsterdam cheese might become your favorite and cause some overweight in the luggage on the way back from Holland. So many types and flavors (cumin, mustard seeds and cloves are only a few) to try, so open up your taste buds and be ready for delightful sampling in Amsterdam!

Shop and try in Amsterdam

It is hardly possible to imagine a cheese shop in Amsterdam where you won’t be able to try your cheese before making a final shopping decision. You will probably pass quite a few cheese stores in the heart of the city (Reypenaer Proeflokaal, Henry Willig Cheese, Cheese Museum, Old Amsterdam Cheese Store and more), but since lots of them are quite touristy, let’s look at the more local options.

De Kaaskamer

Located in the beautiful shopping district of 9 Streets, De Kaaskamer sells some of the best Dutch cheeses, various European cheeses, organic farmhouse types, very old matured pieces, interesting specialty cheeses and everything that can go with them (including wines & beers). The stock of 400 cheeses will amuse with its variety and exclusive types like Old Sheep Cheese with Sea Lavender, Organic Goat Cheese with Potato skins, Selected Gouda Cheese 3 Years and many more.

Runstraat 7

Kaashuis Tromp

The knowledgeable and helpful team of Kaashuis Tromp will be glad to offer you authentic, biological cheeses from Holland as well as diverse high quality cheeses from all over Europe. They have multiple locations around the Netherlands, but it doesn’t matter which one you choose, as their cheese will taste just as good. Try their Kruidenkaas (with different herbs), Pikante kaas if you like spicier and skinny or diet cheeses if you want the calories to be invisible.

Elandsgracht 27 or Utrechtsestraat 90

Fromagerie Abraham Kef

Abraham Kef cheese shops offer exclusive assortment of cheeses that changes with the seasons and with the best time for a particular cheese type. They focus on cheeses made by small producers from the Netherlands and France, especially the raw milk cheeses. Lots of storytelling and personal recommendations are involved when choosing the right cheese at this fromagerie.

Marnixstraat 192 or Czaar Peterstraat 137

Ten Katemarket

In case you are interested in buying good Dutch cheese, but want it to be affordable, then this local market in Amsterdam West will surprise you with its authenticity and great prices. Ten Katemarket has a couple of stalls with cheese where an older Dutch owner will tell you all about his product.

NeighbourFood Market

This is a very special market in Westergasfabriek, which doesn’t happen very often, but when it does, then all the local producers come together. Here you will have a great opportunity to combine cheese tasting with other locally produced delicious items.

Going out for cheese

True cheese fans won’t settle only for trying, buying and bringing home cheese, but they would want to have the whole dining experience with the good Dutch cheese. That would be perfectly possible and even recommended at Fondue & Fondue (Overtoom 415) and Café Bern (Nieuwmarkt 9). While most of the restaurants in Amsterdam will serve you a nice cheese plate or board, these two places will go further and indulge you into cheese fondue. Aside from this fancier options, don’t forget about local fast food spots where you should try kaassouffles- a very Dutch snack of deep fried cheese.

Biggest cheese markets in the Netherlands

If you want to extend your cheese experience in Holland and get the highest level of cheese knowledge, then hop on a train and explore the biggest Dutch cheese markets of Alkmaar, Edam and Gouda. Alkmaar hosts a very unique old cheese market with all the traditions of trade being followed from April to September. Visitors can enjoy a folkloric spectacle of cheese weighing, cheese carriers performing their duty and cheese sellers advertising their product. In addition to this spectacular show, Alkmaar opens its doors to The Dutch Cheese Museum, where you can learn everything about this delicious product and how it has been serving the country for centuries.

The  Edam cheese market features summer reenactments of the Middle Ages, when cheese was delivered to the main square by horse-drawn vehicle or boat and then weighing and sampling started. It is also quite an experience and leaves you with way more impressions than a regular market would.

If you are into Dutch cheese, you just cannot miss the Gouda cheese market, as the cheese type of the same name accounts for more than 60% of cheese production in the Netherlands. It is an authentic market, where local farmers sell their best cheeses and where the cheese weighing house offers some fun entertainment. They will even weigh you using cheese as a measure of weight.